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01/29/2017 07:23 AMThe town is exploring the idea of removing its emergency services dispatch center from police headquarters, instead channeling calls through Branford’s dispatch system. Dispatch centers facilitate police, fire and medical emergency response. The concept is raising concerns from the union representing North Branford’s small dispatch team.
Currently, North Branford employs a compliment of four full time dispatchers and one part-time dispatcher, said Town Manager Michael Paulhus. One dispatcher generally mans the center.
“There are times when we have issues with call volume and/or emergencies with just one person handling those calls coming in. It’s a probability question,” said Paulhus. “How do you handle that, in order to improve that?”
For about a year, North Branford’s Public Safety Communications committee has been reviewing options to address the issue, including transferring services to Branford.
“In terms of a concept, this is something the town is exploring with Branford, so I would characterize it, as I’ve told others, as we’re still in fact-finding mode,” said Paulhus.
The committee was created by town ordinance in July 2015 and enacted in August 2015. According to committee meeting minutes, in February of 2016, the committee began looking into the feasibility of joining a potential regional dispatch center that would include North Branford, Wallingford, Cheshire and North Haven. In March 2016, the committee also began considering a multi-town dispatch agreement with Branford. Following review and discussions, in May 2016, the committee began focusing on further exploration of an agreement with the Town of Branford.
Paulhus noted all committee meetings are open to the public.
“The meetings are open and we’ve invited dispatchers, and they have attended; and union representation has come to those meetings to hear from us and pose any questions they may have.”
The committee has also explored doubling the town’s dispatch staff instead of transferring services to Branford. Paulhus said the committee’s preliminary findings put the annual cost increase of doubling staff at about $500,000.
“Essentially, we have four full-time and one part-time dispatcher. You would have to double that to go to nine to have 24-hour coverage (and) you have to factor in the wages and benefits,” said Paulhus.
Because moving to Branford would mean North Branford could take advantage of state funding supporting multi-town dispatch agreements, transferring services to Branford carries an estimated annual increase of approximately $65,000.
“In both cases, those are increases over current operational budget,” Paulhus noted.
At this point in the committee’s process, Paulhus said, “...the general consensus seems to be we shouldn’t address the call volume and services by getting a second dispatcher,” especially when adding in factors such as enhanced technology and services available with Branford’s system.
In 2013, Branford installed a state-of-the-art emergency services communications center. In 2016, Branford further increased the center’s capabilities by implementing software and training for a new Priority Dispatch Service that uses aspects such as streaming information to increase facilitation of all routine, medical, fire and police calls.
Should North Branford transfer its dispatch services to Branford, one of the concerns expressed by the town’s dispatchers is that the North Branford police station dispatch desk will go “dark” as regular office staff are not in the building on weekends and after 4:30 p.m. weekdays. In a Jan. 24, 2017 press release from AFSCME Local 1303-155, the union representing 18 town employees, Local 1303-155 President Terri Nuzzo, an account clerk for the town, spoke against moving dispatch services to Branford.
“If the proponents of consolidation get their way, our police station could go dark at 4:30 p.m. every day and on the weekends. How is that good for our townspeople? North Branford dispatchers fielded almost 10,000 calls for police and fire service last year. That doesn’t include all the routine calls that come in. It doesn’t include all the people who walk up on a daily basis needing help or assistance,” Nuzzo said. “The town employees in our union want everyone to step back and reassess the potentially harmful impact of getting rid of our dedicated dispatchers. Doing things cheaply is not the same as doing things safely.”
Paulhus said the committee is aware of the concern. He agreed it is “valid” and that the issue is something that needs to be “...addressed and considered.”
“The administrative staff is there until 4:30 [p.m.] so theoretically, when they go home what you have is just a dispatcher,” said Paulhus. “Transferring the service and having our services dispatched out of Branford means potentially there wouldn’t be someone sitting there 24/7. They’d be in Branford. We’d have to try to address that issue and try to plan around it.”
In the Jan. 24 union press release, Sal Luciano, Executive Director of Council 4, parent union of AFSCME Local 1303-155, also cautioned a move to Branford may not provide North Branford with anticipated savings or improved public safety.
“History and experience show that outsourcing a vital function like dispatch operations will not achieve what its proponents say it will,” Luciano said. “You can’t put a dollar sign on protecting the safety and well-being of residents and businesses. Those who support consolidation need to explain exactly how it would save taxpayers money and still safeguard the community interest. It’s awfully hard to do both at the same time.”
Council 4 has 35,000 members across Connecticut, according to the press release.
Local 1303-155 is one of the town employee unions which will be entering contract negotiations with the town this year. Due to the timing and what could come out of the negotiation process, Paulhus said he couldn’t comment on the question of potential job losses created should North Branford ultimately decide to shift dispatch services to Branford.
Once the Public Safety Communications committee makes a determination on the best option for North Branford, its recommendation would still need to be forwarded to the Town Council. The Town Council has been kept up to date on the discussions taking place during committee meetings, Paulhus added. Paulhus did not rule out the possibility of having a decision enter 2017-18 town budget discussions in the coming months, but emphasized the committee’s process of exploration is still underway.
“It’s still a work in progress,” said Paulhus. “If it has legs, ultimately it’s going to be up to the council to decide on, once we gather the information and present the options. So it’s a process. The Public Safety Communications committee is still trying to gather as much information as we can to explore the options and see what makes sense. I think people think it’s a done deal, and that’s the furthest from the truth. Our council meetings are open; they have not taken any formal action. We’re just looking at gathering the information to make sure we get this right.”